Platen-gripper.



E. P. JENNINGS, Jn.

PLATEN GRIPPEH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9. 1915- Pwsm Jan. 15, 1913.'

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PLATEN GRIPPER.

APPLICATION FILI-:II OCT. 9. me.

Patenfe Jim.. i5, 3.918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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IPLATENGRIPPER.

Patented `dan., l5, 19rd..

Original application `filed March 30, 1916, Serial No. 87,725. Divided and this application filed October 9,

VTo' all whom it' may concern.' p Be it knownfthat I, `EMERSON P. JEN- NINGS, Jr., a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Lehighton, in the county of Carbon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Platen-Grippers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to platen grippers for printing presses and the present application is a division of the application tiled by me March 30th, 1916, Ser. No. 87725.

The object of the invention is to provide platen, or impression, grippers which will be of a very simple and inexpensive construction and which will be positively7 operated in timed relation to the movements of the press.`

'A further object `of the invention is to provide platen gripper-s Vin combination with sheet feeding mechanism and toso construct and arrange the same thatthey will in no way interfere with the operation of the feeding mechanism but 'willoperate in timed relation to the movements thereof.

Other-objectsof the invention will appear as the mechanism is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l `is `a side elevation, partly brokenaway, of aprinting press embodying my invention; Fig-.[2 is a perspective view of the platen of such a press showing the platen grippers in detail; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the sheet feeding devices showing the platen grippers in operative relation to the platen; and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the platen grippers spaced away from the platen.

In these drawings I `have illustrated one embodiment of the iny'fention and have shown the same as applied to a `bed and platen press in'V which the form bed moves in a horizontal right line toward and away from the platen andwliich is provided with anautomatic sheet feed, but it will be understood that this press is chosen for the purpos'eof illustration only and that `the invention is applicable to presses of various kinds, either with or ,withoutfeeding mechanism; 1^

As shown in therdrawings the press as a whole comprises a main frame 1 consisting of side members spacedfapart andtied together by tie rods and connecting devices land servingto support the various paris 0f 1916 Serial No. 124,494.

the printing `and feeding mechanism. ril normally stationary platen 2 is mounted near one end of the press and a form bed 3 is mounted for movement toward and from the platen. In the type of press here shown the form bed has combined therewith an inking drum 4. The combined form bed and inking drum is provided at its ends with trunnions mounted in guide blocks 5 which are slidably mounted in guideways G formed in the side walls of the main frame 1. These trunnions are connected by pitmen 7 with crank wheels which are here shown as gears meshing with pinions f9 mounted on a shaft 10 to which power may be applied in any suitable manner.

Mounted on the main frame of the press above the platen is a sheet supporting and separating device comprising a support for a pile of sheets of paper or the like and having a sepa-ratingl member comprising a series of suction blocks 15 to engage and separate one sheet from the pile of sheets. In the present arrangement the separating 'member engages the lowerniost sheet and turns the forward edge of the same downward into a position to be gripped by conveying grippers, 50 and 51, which draw the sheet from beneath the pile and move the same into printing position on the platen.

-ed on a shaft; 39 extending transversely of the mainframe and having secured thereto a pinion 40 which meshes with a horizontal rack bar 20 which in turn is secured to one of the slide blocks 5, thus causing the rack bars and cam bars to reciproeatein timed relation with the movements of the form. Theopening Iand closing of the conveying grippers, 50 and 51, is brought about by trip devices or cams near the face of the platen and so arranged that as the grippers travel up or down they will be opened or closed at the proper time for the performance of 'their functions. lThe details of construct-ron and operation of the sheet separating device and the conveying grippers` are `not/necessary 4to an understanding of the present invention and aV full description of the same will be found in the. above Vmentionedv application. i

rIhe platen or impression grippers comprise strips of metal or lingers 80 having at Vtheir upper ends bearings 79 by'means of which they are adjustably mounted upon the supporting rod S1 which extends transversely to the platen near the upper edge thereof. The supporting rod S1 is so mounted that the fingers SO may be moved toward andl from the face of the platen and the vfingers are so mounted on the rod that they will engage the sheet near the lateral edges thereof, thus, when moved into their operative positions, pressing the sheet firmly against the face of the platen and retaining the sheet in that position during the taking of the impression. VPreferably the fingers `and their supporting rod move bodily lengthwise of the press and to so support the rod I Vhave mounted the endsthereof, respectively, in slide bars 82 arranged for longitudinal sliding movement near the opposite sides of the platen, and preferably mounted in bearing bracketsfSQa rigidly secured to and projecting above the top of the casting or bodyV structure of the platen. In order that the gripping fingers may be, operated in timed relationwith the movements ofthe Y conveying grippers I have provided means foractuating the same from the same part or parts which control the movement of the conveying grippers. To this end I have provided one, or if desired both, of the slide bars S2 with pins or rollers 83 arranged to be. engaged by a cam bar 85 rigidly secured -to the adjacent bar 36 andhaving a cam slot 84 opening through the lower edge thereof to receive the pin 83. Hence on the downward movement of the bars 36 and the conveying gripper-s the cam bar S5l will actuate the slide bars 82 and move the gripping lingers 80 toward the platen, this movement being so timedl that` the gripping fingers will engage-the sheet on the platen immediately following its movement into printing position.- The cam slot 84 has a vertical portion which serves to hold the gripping fingers .in their operative positions during the further movement of the'conveying grippers.l Obviously, uponv the lreturnmovement of the bars 3G and the conveying grippers the cam bai-85 will act upon the pin 83 tomove the gripping fingers out ofengagement with the sheet on the platen, thus releasingthe-same and permitting it to' be removed; r

- The operation of the` mechanism will be clearly understood in connection with the description of the mechanism thereof and it Willbe apparent that both the platen grippermechanism and its operating devices' are very-simple in, construe-tion and operation Lassalle and that it is of a strong durable character and 1s not liable to become Ydisar anged in the'normal operation of the-press. Further, Y it will ,be apparent that the platen grippers are so connected with the conveying grip- `pers as to operate in timed relation thereto,

thus 'permitting the gripping devices to be moved out ofthe way of eachfothervin the normal operation of the feeding mechanism. lVhile I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention it'will be understood that the same Vhas beenfchosen ,for the purposes of illustration only, and that I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will. occur to a person skilled in the art. Y Y 1 L I'Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to-secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a printing press, a printing couple, one member of which is movable toward and from the other' member, platen grippers mounted for movement into and out of operativeV position with relation to the lastmentioned member, and means` actuated from said movable member to positively move said grippers intjo and out of their; operative positions.

2. In a printing press, aprintingcouple,

one member of Which-is movable toward and from the other-member thereof, platen grippers comprising a supporting structure slidably mounted near one edge of the last-mentioned member, fingers carried by said supporting structure, and means. `for"impartii'ig sliding movementto said supporting structure to move said' fingers toward and from said last-mentioned member in timed relation to the movement of, said movable member. Y i l y 3. In a printing press, a printing couple, one member of which is movable toward and from the other member thereof, bars slidably mounted near one edge of the last-mentioned member, fingers carried by said "bars, and means for actuating said bars to. move said lingers toward :and from thefaee of said last-mentioned member. ,i Y Y i g 4. Ina` printing press,a printingcouple, one member of Which is movable toward and from the other member thereof, bars slidably tioned member, a 4supporting rod carried by said bars, fingers secured to said rod,ja,nd means `for actuating said bars Yto-move Said Aiin gers toward aud from said last-mentioned member in timed relation to the movements of said movable member.

In a printing press, a printing couple, one member of which is movable toward and from the other member thereof, bars slidably mounted on the top of the last-mentioned member, a support carried by said bars, lingers secured to said support, and means for actuating said bars to move said lingers toward and from said last-mentioned member.

7. In a printing press, a printing couple, one member of which is movable toward and from the other member thereof, bars slidably mounted near one edge of the lastanentioned member and connected one with the other, lingers carried by said bars, a cam extending transversely to said bars, one of said bars having a part to Cooperate with said cam, and means to actuate said cani,

In a printing press, a printing couple, one member of which is movable toward and from the other member thereof, bars mounted for sliding movement along the upper edge of the last-mentioned member and connected Aone to the other, fingers Carried by said bars for movement toward and from the face of said last-mentioned member, verti al reciprocating cam bars arranged on the opposite sides of said last-mentioned member, said bars having parts to eoperate with the cams, and means to impart reciprocatory movement to said cam bars.

9. In a printing press, a printing couple, one member of which is movable toward and from the other member thereof, bars mount ed for sliding movement along the upper edge of the last-mentioned member and connected one to the other, lingers carried by said bars for movement toward and from the face of said last-mentioned member, vertically reciprocating cam bars arranged on the opposite sides of said last-mentioned member', said slidable bars having parts to coperate with the cams, and an operative connection between said cam bars and the movable member of said printing couple.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature hereto.

EMERSON P. JENNINGS, JR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latenta. Washington, D. C. 

